Alfred g



(No Model.)

A. G. HOLOOMBE.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

No. 249,047. Patented Nov. 1,1881.

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NITED STATES PATENT ALFRED G. HOLCOMBE, OF DANIELSONVILLE, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,047, dated November1, 1881. Application filed October '7, 1830. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED G. HOLCOMBE, of Danielsonville, county ofWindham, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me for improvementsin electriclight apparatus dated November 25, 1879, and numbered221,918,in which the electric arc was controlled by means of themagnetic action of the core of an axial magnet on the periphery of arotating soft-iron disk connected by suitable means to thecarbon-carriers.

Now, this invention has for its object to construct a cheap and simpleelectric-light regulator, in which the electric arc is formed andcontrolled by the magnetic action of the core of an axial magnet or themoving armature of an electro-magnet directly on the rod to which thecarbon is secured, and which for this purpose is made of soft-iron; andit further consists of a simple and efficient means for indicating whenthe carbons require adjusting or renewal, and also in a novelapplication of a speed-regulator to the core of the axial magnet or themoving armature of an electro-magnet, all of which will be fully setforth by reference had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevationof my improvement in electric lamps. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ofthe same cut through the linexw. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of thespeed-regulating device connected to the core of the axial magnet. Fig.4 is a view of the same, taken at right angles to Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 isa sectional View of the upper part of an electric lamp, showing amodification in the form of the core of the axial magnet.

Myimprovements are shownin the drawings as applied to a hanging electriclamp. The frame a. a, for holding the lower carbon and glass shade, andthe case b, for holding the arcregulating device, are of the ordinaryconstruction-that is to say, the frame a a is electrically insulatedfrom the case 7).

Through the center of the case b is placed the soft-iron rod 0, which bypreference is made rectangular in cross-section, as shown at Fig. 2, andit is fitted to slide freely through the top and bottom plates, 1/ andb, of the case b. The lower end of this rod 0 is provided with a socket,in which is secured the upper carbon,

(1, the lower carbon, 0, being in line therewith and secured in a holemade therefor in thelower part of the frame a a by means of a springbearing against it, or by a set-screw, and is passed upwardly throughthe hole to place it in the desired position. is made considerablythicker than the upper one, so that it will last a long time withoutreadjustment, without materially changing the position of thelight-focus. It is adjusted by the part of it below the frame, which maybe of any desired length, thus obviating the ne cessity of removing theglass shade for this purpose.

The axial magnet fis secured in the case b in the position shown, andits core 9 projects beyond the lower end of it. The projecting end ofthe core g is bent at right angles, so that its extreme end 9 is inclose proximity to the soft-iron rod 0, and through this bent end isfitted the brass screw z, the point of which 7 may be set to come incontact with the rod 0. The soft-iron core 9 and the soft-iron rod carecovered with a coating of platinum or nickel by electrical depositionthereon, or by other suitable means, to prevent oxidation of theirsurfaces. The iron core 9 is supported and balanced by means of theadjustable springh, one end of which is secured to the plate I) of thecase b, and the other end to a washer held in a groove formed in thestem of the thumbnut h, which is tapped to fit on a screw-rod projectingdownwardly through the plate I) from the core 9. The strength of thespring h is regulated by the position of the nut h on the screw-rod. upinto the helix of the axial magnet too suddenly when an electric currenttraverses said helix, but to allow it to fall suddenly when the currentbecomes lessened or is shut entirely off,

I provide a retarding or regulating device, con- 9 5 sisting of thepneumatic cylinder 6, into which fits the piston m, sufficiently free toallow the air in the cylinder above the piston to slowly escape when thepiston is raised. This piston m is connected to the core 9 by means ofthe rod 01, in the following manner: The rod a passes down in a centralhole (made some This lower carbon, 6, 60

To prevent the core 9 moving 9o what larger than it) in the upper end ofthe core g, and transversely through the core 9 and rod n is passed thepin 0, which fits tight in the rod n, the hole therefor in the core gbeing elongated longitudinally to the core, or considerably enlarged, asshown at Figs. 3 and 4, allowing somelon gitudinal play between the coreg and the piston m, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

The electric current enters the lamp by the binding-post 1), connectedto one of the insulating-blocks which separate the case b from the framea a. From the post p it passes through the helix ofthe axial magnet,andfrom it through the plate b to the rod 0, passing through the uppercarbon, d, to thelower carbon,e, and from it by the frame a to thehinding-post g, which is secured to the other insulating-blockseparating the frame aa and case b.

The spring 0 is for the purpose of insuring perfect electrical contactbetween the rod 0 and the plate D The side of the rod 0 against whichthe spring 0 bears may be provided with a plate of copper or otherconducting metal, it'deemed necessary.

Inside the glass shade r is placed the cylindrical shade s,held in agroove made therefor in the cup a, which holds the glass shade. Thiscylindrical shields, I propose to make of colored glass-red, forinstance-or it may be made of any refractory substance, the object of itbeing to indicate by changing the color of the light of the are, or byobstructing it entirely before the lower carbon becomes consumedsufficiently for the arc to destroy the metal socket or frame holdingit, giving plenty of time to prevent such destruction ofthe frame of thelamp by resetting or renewing the carbon. A similar cylindrical shade,t, is held in the socket which carries the upper carbon,

I d, to shade or change the color of the are when the upper carbon isburning dangerously close to the socket; and it colored glass or othercolored material be used for these cylindrical shades, then I propose tocolor the upper one, 2, differently to that of the lower one, s, so thatthe distinctive change of color of the light will indicate the carbonrequiring attention; and should both carbons be consumed at the sametime, the shades t and 8 meet and shade the light entirely, or show alight of two colors.

The operation of the lamp is as follows: The carbons being in contact,upon an electric current being caused to pass through the helix of theelectro-magnetf, the core 9 becomes magnetized, and by induction firstfirmly adheres to the iron rod 0. The core 9 is also set out of thecenter of the helix, so that its tendency to assume a central positiontherein causes its end g to move toward and bear on the rod 0. The core9 then moves up into the helix, carrying the rod 0 with it, and soseparates the carbons to form an are between theirends. With a powerfulcurrent it may be necessary to prevent too close a contact between theend g of the core and the rod 0. The brass screw i is for this purpose,and may be regulated as de sired. To overcome the sudden upwardmovementof the core 0 and carbon d,thepneuinatic resistance cylinder and pistonl m come into play as the pin 0 is in contact with the bottom side ofthe enlarged transversehole in thecore 0 when the lamp is first started,as shown at Figs. 3 and 4; but as the arc increases beyond its properlimit, and consequently decreases the current, the core g, with the rod0, is allowed to fall suddenly to bring the arc to its right workinglength, as it is not retarded by the piston m, for the reason that theenlarged transverse hole allows it to so fall some distance before thetop side of the hole comes in con tact with the pin 0; but before thecore is again ready to rise the slower-moving piston at has brought thepin 0 again in contact with the bottom side of the enlarged trans-'verse hole in the core to again retard the upward movement of the core.\Vh'en the resistance of the arc increases sulficiently to decrease thecurrent and reduce the magnetism of the core, and thus weaken its holdon the rod 0, the rod 0, by its weight, slides over the end ofthe coreto again bring the ends of the carbons within the proper arc distance,where it is held by a corresponding increase of magnetism in the core,caused by the increase of current passing through the helix, by whichcombination of simple devices I am enabled to make a perfectelectric-light regulator at very low cost, and one that is not liable toget out of order.

In the modification shown at Fig. 5 the construction and operation ofthe lamp are the same as just described, with the exception that bothends of the core 9 are bent at right angles to act on the rod 0 byinduction, as thereby a closed magnetic circuit is formed in the core 9,giving a firmer hold on the rod 0, and causing the core g to actuate therod 0 with greater certainty than when only one end of the core is setto act by induction on the rod; and 1 would here mention that theprinciple of moving the carbon rod of an electric lamp by the magneticinduction thereon of the core of an axial magnet is not new with me,such an electric lamp being described in the French Patent of Genet, No.25,176, dated November 8, 1859.

Small brass pins g are fixed in the ends of the core 9, to embrace thesides of the rod 0, as shown at Figs. 2 and 5, to prevent the core 9swinging around and away from the rod 0.

It is obvious that the form of connection between the moving core andthe pneumatic retarding or regulating device may be used with otherforms of regulating devices; also, that other modifications may be madewithout departing from the nature of my invention-as, for instance, toadmit of the case b being made much smaller, the lower end of the rod 0may be bent at right angles to it to bring the carbon-holding socketcentrally under the axial H t I magnet f, the adjustable springh beingplaced to one side of it. So I do not wish to confine myself to theparticular construction and arrangement of the various devices shown and/described; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The coreof an axial magnet having both of its ends formed at right angles toproject beyond the side of the helix, in combination with a soft-ironcarbon-carrying rod adapted to slide near the side of the helix indirection parallel to the axis thereof, substantially as hereinbeforeset forth.

2. The combination of the soft-iron carboncarrying rod 0 with the core 9of an axial magnet, and the contact-adj usting screw 17, substantiallyas hereinbefore set forth.

3. In combination, the core g, pneumatic resistance device lm, rod 02,and pin 0, working in the slot in the core g, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

4:. In combination, the rod 0, core g, having one of its ends formed atright angles to its body, and the pneumatic resistancedevice l, m, anda, connected to the other end of the core 9, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

5. In combination, the pneumatic resistance device I m a, the core g,constructed as described, the adjustable spring h, and thecarbon-carrying rod a, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth.

6. In an electric-light apparatus, the combination of the shade s withthe lower-carbonholding cup (1/ and carbon rods 0 and d, substantiallyas and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

7. The combination, with the upper-carboncarrying socket and carbon rodsd and e of an electric-light apparatus, of a shade, t, substantially asand for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

8. In an electric lamp, the combination of the carbon rod d, itsholding-socket, and transparent shade t. of one color, with the carbonrod 0, its holdingcup a, and transparent shade s, of another color,substantially as and for the purpose-hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my band this 6th day ofOctober, A. D. 1880.

ALFRED G. HOLCOMBE.

Witnesses:

ALFRED SHEDLOOK, H. D. WILLIAMs.

